The Mecmar Blog

Secondhand Grain Drier: Opico Magna

John McArthur — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:55:47 +0000

Opico Magna

Opico Magna, 2011, 25 hours, 12 tonne capacity, Electric drive, Automatic, Diesel/kerosene burner, Telescopic screens, electric cross auger, Aspirator, Cyclone, as new. Drier has been barn stored and operated under a lean-to.

Private sale off farm, drier available for viewing immediately, Essex. For more details please contact Mecmar on 01427 728186 or email secondhand@mecmar.co.uk

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Secondhand Grain Drier: Pedrotti Master Grain Drier

John McArthur — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:49:30 +0000

Pedrotti Master Grain Drier

Pedrotti Master Grain Drier, 12 tonne capacity, 1996, 2000hrs (approx total hours), PTO drive, diesel/kerosene burner, telescopic screens, gravity empty. Drier has been barn stored, very well maintained and wearing parts have excellent service life remaining.

Private sale off farm, drier available for viewing immediately Skelton, Cleveland. For more details please contact Mecmar on 01427 728186 or email secondhand@mecmar.co.uk.

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Are you still looking to the grain drier to suit your needs?

Scott McArthur — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 11:14:14 +0000

New Mecmar grain driers are available for delivery throughout the season and into harvest. Driers may be individually specified to suit your farm’s individual requirements. If you are interested in a new or secondhand grain drier for this harvest we would welcome the opportunity to have an informal chat about the options we offer.

We can provide details for reference driers around the country, visit your farm to assess your planned system in greater detail or you can visit our premises near Doncaster where a range of driers are always available for viewing.

We will be attending various shows this coming summer including the Cereals Event and the Royal Highland Show.

Please visit our stand and we can answer any questions you may have regarding our range of grain driers.

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Reliable Returns from Mecmar Mobile Grain Driers

John McArthur — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:07:14 +0000

Nothing stays the same for too long, which keeps things interesting. In the coming year there are many factors that may affect your farm business, CAP reform, changeable commodity prices and the weather to name an obvious few.

Controlling these factors is beyond the power of the individual farm or cooperative. However, there are many activities that ensure your business is prepared for these changing times. At Mecmar we believe that one key element of a robust business is ensuring that the maximum value is added to your crop through on-farm grain drying.

Investing during these comparatively good times will strengthen your business and prepare it for whatever the future holds. On-farm grain drying capacity can offer increased returns regardless of uncontrollable global market forces. It provides an invaluable and dependable return on investment for your farm.

The key to maximising return on investment for grain drying equipment is the machines operational design life. Mecmar grain driers have many engineering features that ensure durability and long-term performance including, extensive structural galvanising, reinforced auger flights andindustrially specified wearing parts.

All these elements ensure an extended service life. When investing in mobile grain driers, the longer the machines operational life the greater the return on the investment.

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How a Mecmar mobile grain drier works

John McArthur — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:40:11 +0000

Take the Mecmar design engineers, state of the art 3D design software and an interesting music choice, mix it all together and you get an informative short video about how a Mecmar mobile grain drier works.

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HGCA Grain Storage Guide 3rd Edition is released

John McArthur — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:16:58 +0000

The HGCA has now released its most recent edition of their go to guide for grain storage. The Grain Storage Guide for Cereals and Oilseeds is an invaluable resource when considering grain drying and storage options.

Safe, effective grain storage is key to assuring crop quality and helping prevent loss of premiums through claims and rejections.

The economic benefits of storage are clear. The capability of storing grain for a November delivery will attract a £4/tonne premium over the harvest price, with May movement giving a further £7/tonne. Understanding the costs of storage is crucial. Grain drying is key factor in effective storage and the best practise guidance laid out in this booklet is endorsed by DEFRA, the NFU and FERA among others.

HGCA’s Grain storage guide was first published in 1999 and has become a key reference for most assurance schemes. This third edition of HGCA’s grain storage guide combines information from the previous edition and the results of a five-year Defra and industry-funded LINK research project in a new risk management approach to grain storage based on HACCP (hazrd analysis and critical control point) principles.

The guide recognises that achieving target moisture content within the shortest time possible is necessary to prevent the risk of mycotoxin formation and quality degradation. It looks are the various ways that this can be achieved. The full document can be downloaded here.

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Mecmar Factory – Powered by the Sun

John McArthur — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:08:46 +0000

Earlier in the month a new solar panel plant was installed and turned on at the Mecmar factory, near Verona.

The up take in photovoltaic (PV) panels in the UK agriculture market looked set to be significant but recent cuts to the feed-in tariff scheme have taken the shine off the returns. In Italy the sun is in much better supply and the factory has recently installed a solar plant on its extensive roof space.

The energy generated by the panels provides power for the manufacturing plant and accompanying office space. The solar plant is part of a long-term commitment to reducing manufacturing costs while also helping the environment. Below are some pictures of the new installation.

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Farmers Weekly – Mecmar Drier Gets More Versatile

John McArthur — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:10:11 +0000

Earlier this week Mecmar attended the UK Grain 2011 exhibition at the East of England Showground at Peterborough. The event was a good opportunity to showcase our latest improvements to our range of mobile grain driers. It was also an opportunity for Farmers Weekly to have a chat with Stewart regarding the latest tweaks to our automatic systems.

Below is the short article produced by Farmers Weekly, look out for it in one of the upcoming issues.

“One of the biggest trends in mobile driers has been the move to automated control system that mean they can largely be left on their own to get on with the job. However farmers often want to still retain some ability to make changes even when an automatic system is working.

“Italian-made Mecmar mobile driers, for instance, now allow users to switch batches in mid cycle. It also has a facility to automatically top up the grain level by a tonne or two when it has dropped as result of shrinkage of the grain as the moisture is taken out.

“A third option, also possible even when the machine is in full auto, is to re-employ a burner to give extra heat.

“This SSI 25 T PTO powered model is a popular size, says Stewart McArthur from Mecmar UK, “as are the D 18 T and S 35 T versions.”

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Mecmar Grain Drier Maintenance – Dust Control

John McArthur — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 14:41:34 +0000

Grain drier maintenance is crucial it ensures safe and efficient drying. Failure to clean the drier during harvest will increase the likelihoodof faults, resulting in the loss of precious time.

Limiting dust around a recirculating grain drier is a difficult business. The Mecmar grain drier features many dust control measures, such as solid screens and bubble top auger and an optional aspirator. These do reduce dust emissions but around a grain drier will always create a dusty environment. Low level maintenance is essential to maximise efficiency and safety in these conditions.

With this in mind we have prepared a quick guide to some of the key areas to keep an eye on.

To remove dust or other unwanted fines from the drier use either compressed air or a brush. Checks should be made regularly, checking at each change of crop would be a minimum. If a build up of dust or fines is seen when working around the drier it is always best to deal with it straight away.

Checks should include the following key areas:

Control panel - dust and electronic components do not mix. Ensure the control panel door is closed when the drier is operating. If dust does get into the panel make sure when the drier is shut-down it is thoroughly cleaned out. Be careful not to alter any settings when doing this.
Riello burner - Do not operate the drier without the burner cover in place. Ensure that the air valves and air adjustment piston are free from dust, again being careful not to alter any settings.
Electric motors - Ensure that the motors grill and ventilation passages are free from dust and any other material to avoid overheating
Screen cleaner chute - check it is clear so dust and screenings can pass through the pipe
Intake auger - straw or barley awns can bridge the gaps on the protective grill and slow down the driers loading rate. Keep the auger clear of these to ensure efficient loading. Also ensure any moisture that may be in the intake auger is removed before loading
The main hopper - do not allow significant amounts of dust or straw to build up on any areas inside the drier, this is generally limited due to the grain recirculating. Oats are particularly bad for build up of dust and straw in the drier.
The bottom boot - at the very base of the main hopper, ensure that this area is kept free from any build up of crop, dust or fines, especially if the drier is open to the elements
The plenum chamber - again do not allow a build up of dust or fines in this area, also ensure that the agitator gearbox breather plug does not become blocked
General chassis - it is a good practise to keep the chassis, furnace, fuel tank and hopper structure free from dust. This will reduce potential risks and also improve the working environment around the drier.

This list is not exhaustive but covers the key area, for further information get in touch with us.

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Mecmar Refurbishment – Recent Projects

John McArthur — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:15:21 +0000

Recent years have seen an increasing interest in high quality secondhand grain driers. To meet this demand we started to extensively refurbish Mecmar grain driers. Using the experience of working on new grain driers we are able to undertake highly challenging refurbishment projects. The high standard of our refurbished driers means they carry the same warranty as a brand new Mecmar grain drier.

Build quality has always been the principal area of focus for Mecmar grain driers making them particularly suitable for refurbishment. The robust chassis design, highly specified wearing parts and inox stainless steel screens are just a few of the factors that contribute to the Mecmar driers durability. Since the 1990s Mecmar drier’s have been designed to be increasingly modular making on farm maintenance of the drier simpler, while also allowing thorough refurbishment to be undertaken.

Details of available refurbished Mecmar grain driers can be found on the secondhand grain driers page where you can also subscribe to this blog to receive updates on availability. Below are some images of recent Mecmar refurbishment projects, click on the photographs to enlarge.